Chapter 21: The End of the Double Harvest

A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the intense period of the "Double Harvest" finally drew to a close. After their initial clumsiness, Tong Lingxian, Wu Meixia, and the others managed to pick up their pace. While they couldn't earn a full day's work points, seven or eight points a day was well within reach. The group was naturally delighted; working a little harder meant a larger share of the year-end grain distribution.

Over these past few days, they had Tang Yao (Fang Mingxi) to thank. Every time they went up the mountain, they found fresh treasures—sometimes oversized wild potatoes, other times sweet and tangy wild fruits. They rarely returned empty-handed. Everyone was puzzled as to why the children were so lucky; every trip yielded fresh food, whereas when the adults went alone, they couldn't even find a stray chicken feather. Watching Tang Yao lead little Fang Mingxi by the hand, they could only sigh that some people were simply born luckier than others. Still, they hoped that luck would keep coming, as they had lived quite well these past few days thanks to the two girls.

Ever since she learned to walk, Fang Mingxi had begun her "performance." Her transition from crawling all over the house to suddenly walking happened right under everyone’s noses. Tong Lingxian and Fang Bosong were stunned, and even Wu Meixia found it hard to believe. Other children didn't usually start crawling until they were eight months old, and here was Xixi, already walking. While it was true that children of poor families had to grow up fast, this was surely pushing it.

At first, the grandparents were overjoyed, but soon, worry set in. They held her and checked her over, fearing something might be wrong with her health. Too many surprises can become shocks; Tong Lingxian was especially terrified, given that Fang Mingxi had suffered a serious illness just days prior. To see her walking immediately after recovering made her deeply uneasy. Fortunately, after several days of observation, they found nothing amiss and finally accepted that their eight-month-old granddaughter could indeed walk.

In a way, Xixi’s early walking was a blessing, as they no longer had to worry about her while they were out in the fields. With the Double Harvest over, they could now bring her along to work. Fang Mingxi, however, was unaware that her schedule had already been set. She was currently tugging Tang Yao around outside, her mind already drifting toward Red Leaf Mountain.

Through tireless effort, her "small cart" progress bar had reached ninety percent. Only ten more pounds of food were needed to unlock it. She was dying of curiosity to see what she would get. When the progress reached ten percent, the system had rewarded her with two draws; she wondered if reaching one hundred percent would grant more. If she could obtain something magical again, she would be grinning from ear to ear.

Lost in such thoughts, Fang Mingxi grew anxious to head up the mountain again. She dragged Tang Yao toward the exit, hoping to convey her intentions. But today, their usual telepathic connection failed; Tang Yao couldn't grasp what she wanted. Seeing her head for the door, Tang Yao immediately scooped her up under her arms and carried her back inside.

"Xixi, it’s dark. We can't go out. There are big bad wolves out there."

Fang "The Big Bad Wolf" Mingxi felt like fainting. What big bad wolves? She was the one who should be the wolf! She twisted her body, trying to get down, but Tang Yao’s arms were like iron clamps. Fang Mingxi was defeated; with resistance futile, she had to abandon her plans for the mountain. She couldn't understand how a girl not yet seven could be so strong. Whenever she was held like this, there was no escaping. Was she a natural-born powerhouse? That didn't seem right; she never showed such strength lifting anything else. Perhaps Tang Yao was her natural nemesis, born to keep her restless spirit in check?

*Sigh.* Fang Mingxi felt this was likely the case. She was carried home, feeling dejected as she watched Red Leaf Mountain vanish behind the closing door. She wanted to grow up; she wanted to be free!

...

The next day, the group, having worked hard for nearly ten days, finally enjoyed a good night's sleep. They no longer had to rise before dawn or work until dark, returning instead to a normal schedule.

Tong Lingxian was in high spirits this morning. She finished breakfast at a leisurely pace, fed Fang Mingxi, and dressed her, ready to take the child to the fields. She specifically went to find Tang Yao to tell her to rest well, saying she would take Xixi with her and not to trouble herself with childcare today.

Fang Mingxi, who had been looking forward to a day of food-hunting, felt her world collapse. Why hadn't Grandma consulted her? Her grand plan had been nipped in the bud before it could even begin!

She refused. She didn't want to go to the fields; she wanted to stick to Tang Yao. She let go of Tong Lingxian’s hand and stumbled toward Tang Yao, crying out, "Sister, hold!"

Tang Yao didn't want to be separated from Fang Mingxi either. Over time, they had grown very fond of each other. Seeing the little girl like this, Tang Yao’s heart melted. She rushed over and hugged her. "Don't cry, Xixi. Sister is here."

Wu Meixia twitched her mouth and nudged Tong Lingxian with her elbow. "Lingxian, why don't you just let them stay together? They've been fine for so many days; they’re very close, and they might not adapt well to being separated suddenly. Besides, Yao Yao doesn't have other playmates, and I worry about her being home alone."

"But I feel bad always troubling Yao Yao," Tong Lingxian said helplessly. She didn't want Xixi to suffer in the fields either—wouldn't it be better for her to stay home and avoid the sun? But Yao Yao was just a child herself, and she couldn't bear to keep burdening her.

Wu Meixia waved her hand generously. "What’s there to feel bad about? We’re all in this together. Honestly, I should be thanking Xixi for keeping Yao Yao company. Otherwise, Yao Yao wouldn't have found so much food on the mountain." She paused. "Think about it, before Xixi came, Yao Yao went up the mountain alone a few times and came back empty-handed. But ever since they went together, they’ve never returned with nothing."

While everyone credited the two children equally, Wu Meixia was convinced most of the luck came from Xixi. Her own daughter had whispered to her once that the first time they found mushrooms, it was because Xixi had fussed and pointed them out; otherwise, she never would have noticed them. Thus, Wu Meixia firmly believed that if the girls were finding so much food, it was all thanks to Xixi’s luck.